new old cam cleat

[leaotis]

After a couple of years of having a saved eBay Search for a "bronze cam cleat", a suitable one appeared for $40. I am delighted but I get blank stares at work when I explain that I got a Wilcox Crittenden bronze cam cleat to replace a horrible modern plastic one that works perfectly .... and it's probably 50 years old. The only comment was that the bronze cam cleat was clearly younger than me.



Here's what I installed originally and tried to disguise:

[IMG][/IMG]


and the new, older more suitable Bronze cam cleat:



Now if I can just make the brass screws go green.

Does anybody have an idea on the age of this Wilcox Crittenden cam cleat.

Cheers, Mack

[Pitsligo]

Elegant! Three cheers!

Alex

[Todd Bradshaw]

Yeah, although that wooden housing was kind of cool.

[nedL]

I’ve seen exactly that cleat on and off all my life, and on some really aged tired boats. I would toss the idea of easily 60 -70 years for the design. Keeping in mind they made those for decades.

[wizbang 13]

If you figure those ARE brass screws, get em out now!
You know they will crumble to dust .

[jsjpd1]

^ yeah I’ve watched that happen. Four or five years max and they’ll be gone in a marine environment, even above the waterline like that. The sucky part is when the heads twist off when your trying to replace them.

Nice cleat.

[kevin b]

I have the exact same cleat for my centerboard pennant. Great find.

[willin woodworks]

Much better!

[rbgarr]

I may have been bidding against you for the cleat on eBay, unless it was one in Oz. I wouldn't have been willing to pay international shipping.

[leaotis]

Thanks WizB. I'll order proper bronze screws.

[leaotis]

Ha rbgarr. Great minds.... It was described as a "Rope Lock" offered by ironbot. 'Not sure how I found it since Cam Cleat wasn't in the description. I use a snipe tool to set my final price. It bids at the last second.